Aamir Khan's FB note: Leave Zaira Wasim alone

Here is what Aamir Khan posted on his Facebook page:

I have read Zaira's statement, and I can understand and imagine what lead her to make that statement.

Zaira, I want you to know that we are all with you. The beauty is that bright, young, talented, hard-working, respectful, caring and courageous kids like you are a role model for kids not only in India, but across the world. You certainly are a role model for me! May God bless you. Love. Aamir.

PS: I appeal to everyone to now leave her alone and respect the fact that she is just a 16 year old girl trying her best to deal with life.

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16-year-old Zaira Wasim, who played the critically acclaimed role of Geeta Phogat in the Aamir Khan movie Dangal left people on social media confused, after she put up a long apology on Facebook and Twitter, for allegedly "offending and displeasing people", by her recent actions or "by the people she recently met".

After her apology note went viral on social media and national TV channels, Wasim deleted it from all platforms and replaced it with another note which said that she wasn’t being pressured into writing an apology. In this post, which has since been deleted, Wasim says, “This post was not meant against anyone, just wanted to make sure that people were not hurt by what I was doing."

Wasim’s apology raises a lot of questions. When she says "offended and displeased by my recent actions or by the people I have recently met”, does she refer to Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti, whom she met on Sunday, January 15?

Wasim’s post led to a storm of speculation ranging from whether her account was hacked, or whether she had received threats from militants/separatists in Kashmir. So far, nothing is certain.

What is certain, however, is that a 16-year-old child should neither have to apologise for acting in a movie, nor should she have to apologise for meeting the chief minister of her state.

It is unfortunate and extremely unnerving that the young budding star is being targeted by those with ulterior political motives, whether fair or not. Why should politics turn an adolescent into a scapegoat of territorial dogfights?

Also read: Why Dangal star Zaira Wasim meeting Mehbooba Mufti was made a big deal

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